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I’ll be honest, I haven’t been doing a great job in keeping track of much of anything since the beginning of this year as I have yet to find an appointment book/planner for 2017. This is why the fact that we are already in February went completely unnoticed by me until my brother mentioned it in passing this past week. So as you can expect I am just getting around to checking out some Valentine’s day fashion for this year and while I have yet to decide what I will be wearing I thought I should share some of the pieces that I am really loving at the moment. Whether you are still looking for something to wear, or just looking to add a V-day twist to an outfit you already have, this list has got it covered at an affordable price range. Happy shopping!

It’s no secret that I am a huge anime, manga, and comic fangirl. Now as an adult, and an emerging professional in a very serious field I have found it difficult to express this interest within my daily life, though not impossible. I should point out that I have no shame, I am very upfront about the things I enjoy, however, even I know that going to work in full cosplay is not exactly something you can get away with at work. With the holiday season now upon us I thought it would be nice to start my gift guide series with some geek-chic. Whether you’re shopping for a friend or just looking to treat yourself, here are just a few affordable fangirl gifts that also are chic enough for everyday use. Happy shopping!

Note: For this list I decided to focus on anime and manga fandoms but the upcoming second part to this guide will include pop culture, western animation and video game fandoms.

I’ll be honest, my personal style is eclectic. I can go from hyper feminine to polish professional, to dark and edgy, to Sunday Best within a week. Notice that there is no mention of boho in that mix. I’m not sure what it is about that particular trend that I find not for me. My workaholic nature probably won’t embrace the concept of a light and relaxed style. Anyway, that changed once I saw this floral print kimono on the Wet Seal Instagram feed I wanted to see what I could do with this new addition to my closet. I’ve teamed up with fellow “budgetista”, Angelica from Affordable Curve for some transitional style inspo, make sure to check out her looks here.

Look # 1 : Breezy & Dressy

With this kimono’s dramatic bell sleeves and floral blossom print on a brilliant blue background I immediately thought about sizing up to wear this as a dress only to realize I should have sized up two sizes because of my large bust. When that original idea didn’t pan out I thought, why not wear it over a dress? I love the mix of silk, jersey and faux leather textures here. I swapped the fabric belt for my new faux leather obi belt I managed to score from Torrid last month for less than $2! (Note: Always check the clearance section between seasons.) The strap front pep toe heels are a step above the heeled sandals that I would usually wear to the office during the summer. For a more conservative professional look I could swap them for flats or closed front pumps.

It’s been a while since my last post and if you follow me on Facebook and Instagram, you know about the unexpected death of my beloved laptop. (Poor thing was only 2 years old…) However, thanks to my good friend and mentor, I now have a borrowed laptop to work on which has allowed me access to resume work on my blog. And I’m happy to report that I have a few outfit posts in the works as well so stay tuned for that. That said, let’s move on to today’s discussion: animated plus size characters.

Animation is an often snubbed form of media as it is usually geared towards children. For the most part this is our first introduction to Western standards of beauty (or at least it is here in the US) with fat bodies not being the norm. These often negative portrayals, though many are brief, tend to perpetuate negative stereotypes and body image perception, even more than live action portrayals. Media on a whole reflects society’s standards and beliefs of body image, but animators usually exaggerate it as they see fit, usually for a “comedic effect.”

I present to you Exhibit A.

So when we are continuously fed this idea that being bigger makes a plus size person undesirable and the punchline to a joke, it limits what they are capable of which is not a message you’d want for any kid. Fortunately, there were a few positive representations that do make it to the screen that helps change this visual practice. By “positive” characters I mean that their characterizations and story lines are not specially linked to their size or limited to archetypes like comedic relief, instead they are truly fleshed out personalities. As one can expect these characters had brief appearances in their respective films or series, but they do leave quite the impression as they challenge the controlled image of what a plus size character is. With that in mind, here are my top 5 positive animated plus size characters.

**It stands to reason that there are spoilers ahead, so consider yourself warned.**

Disclaimer: This list is completely made up of female characters, however, I am considering making another list specifically about plus size men in the near future.

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of going to see Viva Africa, a musical retelling of William Shakespeare’s Romero and Juliet, that deconstructs present social issues like racial profiling, stereotyping, immigration as well as ethnic cultures and tradition. The Truth Urban Theater Group manages to not only entertain as it seeks to educate the audience on the significance of the immigration narrative as it is what connects us, but has also managed to create a great divide.

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About me

Hi everyone, my name is Marlena. I'm an Afro-Latina and a self-identified Recessionista, who currently resides in Queens, New York. When I'm not conducting research or working, I'm on Tumblr reblogging "cool stuff." Follow me on Instagram @BigCity_CurvyGirl_ThinWallet.

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